Six Miles Out film wins two awards

"Six Miles Out," an 11-minute documentary on the plight of Gaza fishermen produced by We Are Not Numbers and New Scene, has won an Award of Merit from two film festivals: Impact Docs! and IndieFEST.

Here is the back story to that film:

On the windy evening of January 4, 2017, 33-year-old Muhammad al-Hissi of Gaza set out with 13 of his brothers, cousins and uncles to make a living the only way they know how: fishing. But he never came home.

The family was spread out in three different boats, with the waves choppy and stiff, when the Israeli Navy appeared on the scene. The 60-ton ship rammed into Muhammad's wooden boat and crushed it like a rock on an egg. Palestinian fishermen and the Israeli navy searched for Muhammad for three days, but his body was never found. The boat's electric generator may have dismembered his body. (See an account of this story in the words of his cousin.)

Muhammad was one of two Palestinian fishermen killed by the Israeli navy in 2017. Four others were injured, 14 were detained and five boats were seized. However, shootings at Gaza fishermen by the Israeli navy are daily occurrences, terrorizing and forcing many to abandon the sea. This pattern is set to continue into the new year, with last month’s decision by Israeli officials to restrict Gaza fishermen to 6 nautical miles instead of the recently allowed 9.

Help us shine a light on this violation of the right to earn a living. A new, short documentary, “Six Miles Out,”—produced by the We Are Not Numbers team in Gaza with funds from the Solidarity for Gaza Fishers campaign—features al-Hissi’s brother and cousin, who take us with them for a night of fishing. You will see for yourself just what it’s like when Israeli “hornets” suddenly appear on the scene.